The Orthodontic Treatment Need and Demand of Young Chinese Adults vs Children

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the need and demand for orthodontic treatment among young Chinese adults and to compare it to that of Chinese children. Material and Methods: The sample was comprised of young Chinese adults who were 18 to 24 years of age with no history of previous orthodontic treatment. The sample of Chinese children, 12 years of age, was randomly selected and previously reported in detail. All subjects were required to complete a questionnaire that related to their demand for orthodontic treatment. Study casts were obtained and graded using the index of orthodontic treatment need. Results: More than half of the young adults had great or very great orthodontic treatment need, 30% had moderate treatment need, and 15% had little or no treatment need. More females (32.7%) than males (27.4%) demanded orthodontic treatment, although the difference was not statistically significant. The orthodontic need for treatment was significantly higher in young adults compared to that in children 12 years of age, but the demand for treatment was significantly lower in young adults. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that malocclusion had worsened and that orthodontic need increased with age. The demand for orthodontic treatment seemed to have become less in young adults compared with children 12 years of age.